Arts & Culture

By Ramon Jorge Sarabosing
Richard Vilar, the charmingly demanding director and me trade email messages, versions and revisions for the script/libretto of “Soog” (current) Butuan, slated Wednesday evening next week, August 2 at the
Father Saturnino Urios University gym.
It is produced by the City Government of Butuan as part of the Adlaw Hong Butuan celebration.
Vilar is a veteran of countless plays and musicals (on Mindanaoan dramaturgy) so I spoiled myself with the idea that he...

By Ramon Jorge Sarabosing
Richard Dian Vilar is a director, playwright, actor, choreographer, set and costume designer, creative lecturer/storyteller, even a museum curator. He is acknowledged not only in Mindanao but internationally.
Vilar is currently home (in Butuan) to mount an original Butuan-inspired dance-musical, “Soog Butuan” to be shown August 2 at the FSUU gym.
Though based in Davao City, Vilar is a proud Butuanon Manobo who grew up in the city, studied in Butuan Centr...

By Ramon Jorge Sarabosing
The paintings are Anoy Catague’s s current works featured in “Merging currents," a group exhibition of select Davao artists.
I know I would be biased. But I should be. After all, Anoy Catague and I have been together through thick and thin.
As he started to be recognize as a painter, I was behind him, believing in his potential (and he likewise was behind me).
We were buddies and colleagues supporting each other. Well, we joked, we probably had no cho...

By Ramon Jorge Sarabosing
No doubt about it, this year's Balangay Festival float parade is the finest.
Having seen previous Balangay parades before, last Friday's marked a big improvement in terms of aesthetics.
A reflection, I believe, showing a definite maturity of understanding and belief of the ancient boat as a true symbol of what it stands for.
Since the beginning when it was adapted as the symbolic icon of Butuan, I noticed a sense of confusion and uncertainty, both fro...

By Monette C. Ventura
I was sitting on the fourth row while waiting for the Mutya hong Butuan talents night competition. I was with family and neighbors because it was supposed to be a barangay affair.
All the candidates came and represented their respective villages-the barangays-all over the city.
Everyone, I suppose, came to cheer their candidates, but to us, small group of neighbors and relatives, our candidate was the prettiest and the most talented!
As always, speeches f...

By Ramon Jorge Sarabosing
If you ask me, my favorite Pinoy female singer of all time is Grace Nono, who in case you don't know is a native of Agusan del Sur.
I am sure you hardly know her because she is not on pop radio and TV, but who cares, she's a sensible singer and musician original and visionary, very much unlike many others who are copycats of so-called Hollywood divas.
So, when she was featured recently in the lifestyle section of a national daily last month, I was proudl...

By Ben Serrano
The filming of the movie titled “Siargao” which will be shot entirely on Siargao Island, the surfing and game fishing capital of the country will start this May.
Award winning film maker Paul Soriano, in an exclusive interview, said his movie “Siargao “ which will star Jericho Rosales and actress Anne Curtis with other popular teen idols will be submitted as official entry for the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Entire cast have to stay in Siargao for entire durat...

By RJS and Bryan Edulzura
Higa’d, in Butuanon means “by the river” and in this case, an art festival in a garden.
Butuanons for the first time will experience in the long years an "explosion" of the arts, from visual, music, dance and poetry and even Oriental fitness practice.
The festival, as announced previously opens April 30, at 3 0'clock in the afternoon at Anita Consing-Llorente Art Center in F. Durano and Noli Me Tangere Streets. It will close on May 6.
Paintings, s...

By RJS and Bryan Edulzura
Since the Poetry Society of Butuan is composed of professionals with various interests in the arts, it's inevitable it comes up with an art exhibition from active artist-members.
Though an informal hobbyist group organized five years ago, they meet every second saturday of the month, mostly outdoors.
"We started in a farm, under the Rambutan trees, up a hill," says Vangie Pena-Dominise, the festival coordinator and one of the pioneers who is a ...

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